Bangladesh Crisis: PM Sheikh Hasina Flees, Interim Government to be Formed

Dhaka:  Following the massive protest on Sunday that led to the death of nearly 100 people, the democratically elected prime minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina, fled the country at around 3 PM on Monday. She left the official residence by helicopter soon after crowds reached the official residence. 

Thousands of citizens stormed the capital city of Dhaka on Monday. They were responding to the calls of a Dhaka Cholo protest to storm the capital, which was issued on Sunday. Although the army was deployed across the city to prevent people from entering the capital, alongside the enforcement of curfew. But the army abandoned their posts as the massive crowds arrived and let them pass through the checkposts and barricades.

The chief of army staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, addressed the nation at around 3:15 PM  IST on Monday regarding the development. He said, “The prime minister has resigned from the position. An interim government is to be formed soon and we will approach the president for the same. Trust your own army, we are here to save our country. Please do not engage in arson, fights or violence in any form. Please support us in bringing back normalcy in our country. We will listen to all your(the citizens) problems. With your support, we will resolve all the problems very soon. We will form a beautiful Bangladesh again together. All mistakes will be rectified and due punishments will be administered for crimes against the country and its citizens. We have invited multiple ministers, and we are glad that many of them have given positive feedback. A lot of life and property have been lost already, please support us to control the problem. God willing, we will soon return to normalcy. “

Bangladesh has 30% job reservation for family members of family members from Bangladesh's 1971 war of independence from Pakistan. This controversial reservation system has become a cause of resentment among the citizens, especially the students. This anger and resentment gave way to one of the largest protests that the country has seen with arround 300 deaths in its wake. The protests began last month with the students demanding the scrapping of this quota. Sheikh Hasina who has been the PM for multiple terms denied the complete removal and invited representatives of the protesters for talks, which was rejected. The matter was taken up by the apex court of the country, which ordered that the quota be substantially reduced to 5%. However, the protests continue to take place as students all across the country demand the complete abolition of the quota. The most recent incident of clashes on Sunday between protesters and security personnel led to 98 deaths. Public property, including universities and amenities, has been set on fire and the army deployed on the streets. It was mentioned that the army failed to fire at the protesting crowds as their family members too have joined the ‘Dhaka Cholo’ protest. Social media and internet usage have already been restricted across the country and a curfew declared in the capital. 

Also Read: Bangladesh Protests: Death Toll Reaches 300, India Issues Advisory

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